Most of the pests we deal with here in Savannah are smaller, like rodents and insects. However, larger wildlife species are just as much of a threat to invade our Savannah homes as other types of pests. Raccoons are one such pest, known for rooting through your trash and terrorizing your pets. Read on to learn what attracts raccoons to your Savannah home, and how Prestige Pest Control can help you remove them today!
What Attracts Raccoons
Like any pest, raccoons are just looking for convenient ways to obtain their most basic needs. Below are some of the more specific reasons they may be interested in invading your home:
- Food: Perhaps the most obvious reason, raccoons will invade your home if there is easy access to food. Raccoons will feast on garbage of any kind, and will root around in your trash cans while searching, no matter if these bins are in your garage, beside your house, or in your driveway. They will also come up to your porch and eat the pet food you’ve left outside as well.
- Water: Consistent access to clean water will also attract and keep raccoons in your Savannah yard (and eventually your attic). If you have leaky pipes or spigots anywhere on your property, raccoons will soon make their way over to your yard.
- Shelter: Your attic is the perfect place for raccoons to nest in. It provides them with warmth and safety, and will allow them to continue to reproduce. Your chimneys are also appealing, as they resemble the hollowed-out trees that raccoons nurse their young in.
Raccoons Can Be Destructive
Unfortunately, raccoons do more damage than just being annoying. If raccoons have invaded your attic, they can cost you thousands of dollars in damage:
- Insulation: A raccoon weighs between 25 and 30 pounds. Simply by walking around in your attic, they will compact insulation down, damaging the linings in your attic. Pregnant females will do even more damage as they rip out flakes of insulation and use it to build their nests.
- Urine and feces: Raccoons produce a lot of urine and feces, and the problem will get even worse if they are reproducing, with as many as eight babies living above your ceilings in your attic. The buildup of these droppings can eventually cause health problems in you and your family, and anyone else who is exposed.
- Roof damage: In addition to destroying your attic, raccoons will also cause severe damage to your roof with their dexterous paws. They will pull tiles loose and tear holes in your roof and the sidings of your house.
Raccoons Can Be Dangerous
It may be tempting to try to rid your Savannah attic of raccoons yourself; however, it is not recommended. Raccoons are capable of spreading dangerous diseases to both humans and their pets, such as rabies and canine distemper. Exposure to raccoon urine and feces can be just as dangerous as getting bitten or scratched, and is just as much as a vector of disease.
Let The Pros Take Care Of Raccoons
If raccoons are invading your Savannah attic, give us a Prestige Pest Control a call. We have been serving the Savannah area since 1986, and have decades of experience safely and effectively removing raccoons from Savannah attics. Our expert technicians will work with you to remove these pests, sanitize the areas they have infested, and will then assist you with implementing strategies to prevent them from returning. Here at Prestige Pest Control, we value nothing more than providing our customers with safe, hassle-free service. If raccoons are causing damage to your home, give us a call. We’ll take care of them for you.